The State and Medicine: A Comment

Extract

Seven years of depression and the rising cost of medical care, which has been taking place for more than twenty-five years, have forced a reconsideration of the relation of the state to the practice of medicine. The public is worried and the political opportunist is ready, as always, to capitalize this worry by providing a panacea in a hurry. There is little doubt in the minds of most thinking people that some form of health insurance must be provided; but the attempt to create a very complicated piece of machinery, and set it working at once, will lead to serious difficulties and hardships. The experience of European countries is not of much assistance to Canada. None can claim perfection, and most of them have to be satisfied with the best makeshift that circumstances will allow. England provides only such service in the home or office as a general practitioner can give. For ten years she has had, on paper, the provision of a complete but expensive medical service. Russia provides such a service at a cost which has been estimated at 20 to 25 per cent. of the employees' income.